Butler man admitted to drug treatment court

August 17, 2017Digital Media Exclusive

A Butler man was admitted into drug treatment court after entering guilty pleas to four cases on Tuesday.

Jonathan R. Shuler, 29, was placed in the program by county Judge William Shaffer, after he pleaded guilty to several theft and burglary charges in Butler County Court.

He was entered into the program on charged of felony criminal trespass and seven felony counts of theft. That plea agreement calls for 48 months probation, restitution and his participation in the drug treatment court.

If he is unsuccessful in completing the program, the pleas will be changed to two felony counts of burglary, which calls for a sentence of 22 to 50 months in a state correctional facility.

The charges on which he was admitted to the drug treatment program stem from an incident on Dec. 25, 2016, in Clearfield Township.

Police said Shuler broke into a garage in the 100 block of Criley Lane before fleeing into the woods.

The victim reported hearing an all-terrain vehicle in the woods and shined a spotlight in that direction, and saw Shuler on an ATV, according to court documents. Police noted that the victim knows Shuler and the property is “well lit.”

Later, police said, the homeowners discovered two guns were missing from the garage — a Remington .30-06 pump-action rifle and a Mossberg 12-gauge slug gun.

During a previous interview with police investigating several other break-ins, he allegedly committed in the area, Shuler admitted “that he could travel to and from burglary scenes on an ATV,” documents said.

In addition to the burglary and theft charges, he has a harassment charge stemming from an incident on June 12, 2016, when police said he hit a woman, grabbed her by the wrist, stomped on her foot and pushed her.

He continues to be held in the Butler County Prison pending sentencing.